Medical leads are implanted into a defined space within a body of a patient to provide medical therapy within the defined space. For instance, a distal end of one or more medical leads may be implanted within an epidural space of the patient in order to deliver electrical stimulation pulses from electrodes on the distal end of the lead(s). The electrical stimulation may be for various reasons, for instance, to provide pain management.
In situations where multiple leads are needed, the conventional manner of implantation is to perform two separate implantation procedures, with each procedure creating a separate entry to the defined space. In the example of the epidural space, each lead must pass through the ligamentum flavum in order to enter the epidural space. The conventional implantation process involves puncturing the ligamentum flavum with a needle large enough to pass a first medical lead through a lumen of the needle. A needle is then used to again puncture the ligamentum flavum at a different site to allow a second medical lead to pass through the needle and into the epidural space.
Each time an entry is created for each lead, there may be additional patient discomfort and inconvenience. Furthermore, there is also an increased risk of complications such as an infection or other adverse condition. For instance, in the case of puncturing the ligamentum flavum to reach an epidural stimulation site, each puncture creates a risk of also puncturing the dura and causing a cerebral spinal fluid leak.